a 600-mile round trip combat flight. For their actions during this engagement, the following squadron personnel were awarded the Navy Cross: Lieutenants Wilbur J. Engman, Melvin L. Tegge, and Thomas B. Adams and Lieutenant (jg)s Richard W. Russell, Lawrence E. Helmuth, John M. Davis and William Maier. 26 Oct 1944: Strikes continued against the Japanese Fleet and Lieutenant Leroy H. Grau was awarded the Navy Cross for a successful torpedo attack against a Japanese light cruiser. Nov 1944: The squadron continued to provide support for the Occupation of Leyte, striking targets on Luzon. 13 Nov 1944: The squadron’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander R. Denniston, Jr., was lost on a combat mission over Manila Harbor. Dec 1944: Squadron aircraft struck targets on Luzon in support of the landings on Mindoro. 18 Dec 1944: While operating east of the Philippines the task force was overtaken by an unusually severe typhoon causing the loss of three destroyers and damage to several other ships, including four light carriers. Jan 1945: In early January, the squadron struck ships and targets on Formosa and Luzon in support of the landings in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. 9–20 Jan 1945: The squadron participated in operations in the South China Sea, the first time an American Task Force had entered these waters since the beginning of the war. The squadron struck targets at Cam Ranh Bay and a convoy off Qui Nhon, French Indo-China; shipping at the Pescadores Island; and Hong Kong. 1950s In July 1950, VA-115 deployed aboard for nine months conducting strikes at Inchon, South Korea in preparation for landings in September 1950. During and after the invasion the squadron flew deep support missions and also encountered MiG-15s. On 31 December 1951, VA-115 provided close air support for American troops in the Chosen Reservoir area and flew combat missions against North Korean rail, transportation, communication, industrial and supply targets. VA-115 flew 2,268 combat missions over both Korea deployments. For this outstanding performance, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. In June 1952, the squadron participated in coordinated strikes against North Korean hydroelectric power plants – the first heavy attacks conducted against these installations. Nine different hydroelectric power plants were struck. VA-115 made two deployments to Korea in 1950/51 and 1951/52 aboard USS Philippine Sea. It returned to Korea shortly after the Armistice Agreement in July 1953 aboard . This was followed by another deployment on USS Kearsarge